"We got a message about two days ago asking us if we were able to fill in for Green Day because Billie Joe was having some issues," says Hammett. "We discussed it between the four of us and we all said, 'Yeah.' It would be a great thing for us to do and it would also be great to help out Billie Joe because he's a friend of ours and we love Green Day. If we can help them out in any way possible, we're always happy to do it because we love those guys. It's a honor for us that they approached us and asked if we could fill in."

Asked if they had anything special in mind, like playing an album front-to-back like their sets at Orion Music + More Festival, Hammett demurred. "We haven't really discussed it yet," admits the guitarist. "It's still new and a pretty early development. When I see the guys next week, I'm sure we're going to discuss our plan of attack."

Metallica will play the Louisiana-based festival on Oct. 27. Take a gander at our Insider's Guide to New Orleans before you head down to rock out and we'll see you October 26 - 28. If you want to join us, tickets are still available right here.